PROTECT WILDLIFE AND PUBLIC HEALTH!

The Illinois Senate recently passed a bill that would siphon money away from proven programs that help the state’s low-income pet owners and instead use those funds to maintain colonies of feral cats in Illinois’ parks and neighborhoods. This bill would authorize the systematic abandonment of cats throughout the state and is a threat to the health and welfare of people, birds, and other wildlife.

Cats make wonderful pets, but these non-native predators have contributed to the extinction of 63 species and annually kill 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals in the United States. They are the greatest source of direct, human-caused mortality to birds in the United States and Canada.

Feral cats also transmit harmful parasites and diseases such as hookworms, typhus, and cat-scratch disease. Even worse, cats are consistently the top carrier of rabies among domestic animals and are the definitive host of the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. Permitting hordes of feral cats to roam our parks and neighborhoods is an unnecessary risk to human health.

The state should not be in the business of promoting and subsidizing colonies of feral cats -- it should be safeguarding our families and wildlife!

Recent comments

New forum topics

Active forum topics

Syndicate

Basic Yearly Membership is $25. If you decide to join at $65 or higher, your new Membership will include a complimentary hat (as pictured below).

Larger imageChicago Audubon's Harrier Hat featuring a Northern Harrier patch, is now available for only $15.00 (add $3.00 for shipping) to Members and non-Members. Great colors, solid stitching, and an adjustable band. Contact our office at (773) 539-6793 or email us at [email protected]

If you shop on-line at Amazon.com, you can help CAS at no extra cost. Simply go to smile.amazon.com and choose Chicago Audubon Society as your charity of choice. Then shop, knowing that a portion of the purchase will support Chicago Audubon’s programs.

DONATIONS OR MEMORIAL DONATIONS to Chicago Audubon

Click here to donate to Chicago Audubon or to make a Memorial Donation to Chicago Audubon.